North Union’s Max Parish (3) delivers a two-handed slam following a fastbreak during the second half of action. The senior tallied 31 points in the team’s win over the visiting Indians.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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There is always some mystery involved during the tournament basketball season.
Coaches worry about first-game jitters or teams with nothing to lose that step up to pull off an upset.
North Union was able to avoid the latter on Tuesday during the opening round of the Central District Division III tournament.
Sparked by an opening salvo of three-point goals, Mount Gilead, the 20th seed, battled from beginning to end in an attempt to pull off the upset.
The second-seeded Wildcats (18-5), though, had just enough to withstand the Indians’ never-give-up attitude and came away with a 65-61 home victory.
“Mount Gilead was playing for their season and it was hard for us to put them away,” NU head coach Ryan Grose said. “Tournament time is not ever what it is expected.”
Several times North Union appeared to be on the verge of putting the game away. Each time, however, the Indians (6-17) found a way to battle back.
“They were not going to go down without a fight, so give Mount Gilead credit,” Grose said.
The fight started with the opening minutes of the first quarter.
Led by a pair of three-point field goals from Hayden Somerlot, Mount Gilead jumped out to a 6-2 lead.
An eight-point run, including six markers from Max Parish, gave the Wildcats a 10-6 lead.
Somerlot later swished two more treys. The second one deadlocked the game at 14.
A three-point goal by Miles Hall led to a 17-16 NU edge after one quarter.
The Indians tallied three-point goals from Somerlot and Rowan Fitzpatrick to open the second frame for a 22-17 lead.
A pair of baskets by Parish put NU back on top at 26-24.
Fitzpatrick once again dialed it up from behind the arc as the Indians regained a 27-26 edge.
Nolan Draper, Parish and Wyatt Davis each scored baskets during the final 90 seconds as North Union led 32-29 by the end of the half.
The Wildcats pushed their margin to 41-33 over the first two minutes of the third quarter, aided by a three-point goal by Draper.
They were able to bump the count to 45-36 midway through the quarter following a steal by Hall that led to a Parish dunk.
A free throw from Eli Bennett gave North Union its largest lead of the game (46-36).
Mount Gilead scored the next nine points, capped by an inside basket from Mitchell Sayers, with 29 seconds left,
Two free throws by Draper and single charity toss from Parish allowed the Wildcats to lead 49-45 with one quarter to play.
The two teams traded six-point runs as North Union led 55-53 with 4:58 left in the game.
A three-point goal by Hall and Parish’s two free throws were sandwiched around a Mount Gilead field goal.
As such, the Wildcats led 61-55 at the 1:49 mark.
Mount Gilead had one more spurt. A field goal by Gage Baker with 14 seconds left closed the gap to 63-61.
Tyler Krebehenne hit a pair of charity tosses to seal the deal for the Wildcats.
Parish totaled 31 points to lead all scorers.
Draper netted 15 and Hall finished with 14.
Somerlot led Mount Gilead with 17 points.
“We did not recognize some things on defense and they made us pay for it,” Grose said. “But the name of the game is survive and advance.”
That survive-and-advance mode will continue Friday when NU hosts No. 12 Columbus Africentric.
The Nubians (12-9) will be a tough test for the Wildcats.
“Africentric wants to be fast-paced and as chaotic as they can,” Grose said. “We will need to be at our best in transition and rebounding.”
Mount Gilead
Fitzpatrick 6-0-15, Somerlot 6-0-17, Baker 7-0-14, Trainer 3-0-6, Vickers 2-0-4, Sayers 2-1-5. Three-point goals: Somerlot 5, Fitzpatrick 3.
North Union
Draper 5-4-15, Keever 0-0-0, Parish 13-5-31, Davis 1-0-2, Krebehenne 0-2-2, Hall 4-3-14, Bennett 0-1-1. Three-point goals: Draper 1, Hall 1.